Safety Office, Commissary Building
University of Waterloo
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
Phone 519 888 4567 Ext. 33587
Fax 519 886 8082
Email: safety@uwaterloo.ca
This standard outlines procedures to ensure that laboratory/studio space is reassigned according to health, safety and environment regulations and standards. Prior to a laboratory being reassigned, renovated or demolished it shall be cleared of any unnecessary biological, chemical, radioactive or physical hazards.
Requirements
- Laboratory supervisors are responsible for vacating a laboratory according to this standard.
- Laboratory supervisors are responsible for any costs related to vacating a laboratory including hazardous materials identified and/or removed to Environmental Safety Facility (ESC ext. 35755) and the decontamination of equipment and facilities unless their department has agreed to an alternate cost arrangement.
- The Safety Office shall provide advice about hazardous materials disposal and the decontamination of equipment and facilities. Where a laboratory supervisor has not addressed the requirements of this standard, the laboratory supervisor’s department shall have the conditions rectified.
- The Safety Office shall be consulted about the transfer of any hazardous materials and related equipment from University of Waterloo.
- Laboratories shall not be assigned to a new laboratory supervisor for use, or to a contractor until inspected by a department chair, administrative head or designate using UW’s Laboratory decommissioning form. In the event that the laboratory is not immediately re-assigned to a specific researcher, the department will sign-off as the incoming researcher and will sign-off as the outgoing occupant when the space is re-assigned. All decommissioning forms need to be submitted to the Safety Office as space is re-assigned.
Guidelines for vacating laboratories
- The lab should be clean, tidy, and free of combustible materials.
- Chemical containers need to be properly identified, labeled, and sealed.
- Laboratory glassware should be empty and cleaned.
- Autoclaves, ovens, refrigerators, freezers, incubators, fume hoods, and storage cabinets need to be cleaned-out and decontaminated.
- Clean lab bench tops and fume hood work surfaces (washed down).
- Return compressed gas cylinders to the supplier(s).
- Dispose of unused hazardous consumer products as hazardous waste (e.g. cleaning solvents, paints, thinners, oils, pesticides, etc.).
- Dispose of hazardous waste through the Environmental Safety Facility (ESC ext 35755).
- Remove signs, posters, and non-University property.
- Leave documents or statements with department director/chair for any equipment or materials that the department has agreed to have remain in the laboratory (e.g. Safety Data Sheets (SDS), services manuals, inventory, etc.).
- Fill out the lab decommissioning form and submit one copy to the Safety Office and retain a copy in the departmental.